Digitization for Mama Mboga
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Overview
Mama Mbogas the women traders who form the backbone of Kenya's informal agri-food market are largely invisible in the digital transformation sweeping the agricultural sector. Structural barriers prevent them from accessing agritech tools, and their perspectives are routinely absent from the AI systems being built to serve them. The result is a widening gender gap that risks leaving millions of women behind.The project is tackling this gap by embedding women's voices directly into AI development processes. Researchers are identifying the specific obstacles that block women's digital inclusion and working with policymakers to ensure that agricultural AI is governed by principles of social and economic fairness not just efficiency.The impact reaches far beyond individual empowerment. By integrating local women's perspectives into technical development, the research is helping to ensure that AI-driven food security initiatives benefit the informal sector workers who need them most. With targeted interventions now equipping Mama Mbogas to participate meaningfully in the evolving agri-food value chain, the project offers a replicable model for inclusive digitization one where responsible AI development and gender equity go hand in hand.